Welcome to the WOA 

Westsails. Rendezvous. Support. Information. Camaraderie.

Welcome to the Westsail Owners Association! It’s good to have you aboard. Whether you are in the market for a Westsail, or you are already an owner of these fine boats, membership in the WOA is your first place for support, resources, and camaraderie. The Westsail Owners Association is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization whose goal is member support through the dissemination of information and camaraderie on and off the water. All of our members share the common goal of improving our boats, our skills, and our lifestyles.

The main source of information is our flagship publication Windblown, distributed quarterly to our membership. It contains all kinds of information about the Westsail breed, history, and the “Westsail the World” phenomenon. If you desire information on cruising in Westsails, what gear works on these boats, or what the best way to make conch fritters is, chances are someone else has been there and written about it. Articles and columns are written and submitted by the membership at large, so information is timely and relevant. Member participation is welcome and encouraged!

Do you have some thing to sell or need a hard to find part? Windblown classified ads are free to members. Placing a classified ad is a good way to spread the word about “pre-owned boats and slightly used gear.” An alternate and much revered outlet is this web site. The web site contains timely information about our association, Westsail rendezvous schedules, and other information. The message board offers members instant access to many questions and answers, as well as the ability to publish items for sale on the internet. If you need Westsail questions answered fast, the message board is the best place to start.

Owning a Westsail wouldn’t be complete without a way to show it off to the world. A WOA sponsored rendezvous is just the thing. Rendezvous are gatherings of Westie owners, owner wannabes, and anyone with an interest in Westsails or Archer/Atkins double-enders. Attendees get together, tour each other’s boats, share information, and have a plain old great time. Rendezvous are regularly scheduled according to member interest in California, Florida, the Chesapeake Bay, and Washington State, with other non-annual rendezvous in the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast.We even have them in landlocked areas, with the Nevada get together being the most famous! Rendezvous have been held in far away places, like Mexico and the South Pacific. If you’ve never been to one, clear your calendar, attend one and see for yourself what all the fuss is about. No rendezvous scheduled for your immediate area? Why not host your own. Minimum requirements are one boat, two owners, and a six-pack, but you’ll probably find it easy to make a much bigger event. They’re fun and easy to organize and a great way to meet and greet your fellow Westsailors; plus you’ll have the support of the association in setting it up. Just ask. There is a lot of experience out there to draw from.

Like discounts on stuff? The WOA has worked hard to offer its members a fifty percent discount on Boat/U.S. memberships. WOA members are entitled to special savings on other non-sailing adventures, such as car rentals world-wide through Avis and Hertz. Who, on a cruising budget, wouldn’t want to save a couple of dollars on a car rental in some exotic place?

WOA members often use the power of group purchasing to buy boat gear at discounts directly from manufacturers. Wind-vane self-steering gears, life rafts, Max-Props, and other high priced items were negotiated for purchase at significant savings to the members that participate. Need a special piece of gear you think other members might want as well? Mention it on the message board and see if you can get a group purchase started. Why not save yourself and others some money on a badly needed, but expensive, piece of equipment?

All of these examples are really just side benefits to the WOA. The real benefit of this association is the people. In that we all share common goals, you’ll find this bunch of people willing to help by their active participation in our association. Traveling somewhere? Check the membership roster and see if there is a member at your destination. You might be surprised to find a friendly individual whose willing to open his boat to you and discuss Westsails into the wee hours of the night. Sharing is what it is really all about. The WOA is full of terrific people.

It has been noted that the Westsail Owners Association is one of the best post-production support groups for production boats in existence. Unlike other similar groups, we are totally volunteer driven. There is no formal leadership structure of stodgy-old-folks-who-have-been-around-forever running the show holding the members hostage to their whims. The Association’s Editor holds a loose grip on the tiller, but it’s the members that determine the heading. We have a membership chairguy and we rely heavily on members for support in other areas, such as hosting the web site and message board.

Don’t be shy if you have a question, comment, suggestion, or complaint. The Westsail Owners Association is here to support its members and the Westsail fleet. If you are a member, we hope you'll use our resources to your maximum advantage. If you are not a member, consider joining - there's strength in numbers. What ever you purpose here, we hope you will feel welcome.

Now get out there and Westsail the World!